Milk weighing and recording machine



April 1959 E. c. KOSTER 2,505,552

MILK WEIGHING AND RECORDING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1945 Z Sheets-Sheet 1 Edward CKOSZfeZ April 25, 1950 E. c. KOSTER 2,505,552

MILK WEIGHING AND RECORDING MACHINE Filed April 11, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.1! [Em-l2 112 1 13 FIG. 110 113 111 104 10. O 115 8 98 a,

n; u6 :1 124 41 is? I Ila fatentecl Apr. 25 195 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MILK WEIGHIN G AND RECORDING MACHINE Edward C. Koster, Shaker Heights, Ohio Application April 11, 1945, Serial No. 587,768

'7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to weighing and registering machines and more particularly to scales for weighing the separate milkings from cows and providing for the quick and easy recording of same.

The main object of the invention is to provide a weighing machine of the above character which is convenient for use in weighing the milk in the milking pail as taken from a certain cow of a dairy herd and at the same time automatically moving a lead pencil to a portion of a record sheet corresponding to the weight of the milk for the ready pressing, by the milker, of the pencil against said record sheet and rotation thereof to mark a dot thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a weighing machine of the above character which will weigh and provide for the marking of a record for each cow of the herd for a desired period of time.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which will provide a record for a period of successively selected days, months or years.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which is convenient to set for any particular cow or for any record period desired.

Another object of the invention of the above character which when adjusted for a definite day of a week and a definite week of a month for one cow is adjusted likewise for all cows of the herd for the same period.

And another object of the invention is to provide a machine of the above character which is simple in construction, accurate in operation, and convenient to set for each record period and for each cow to be milked.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention will be hereinafter fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and the novel features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a milk weighing and registering machine constructed in accordance with my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof,

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the machine, the circular lock plate being broken away to better show the period index lever,

Fig. 4 is a side view of the scale spring and suspension bar,

Fig. 5 is a face view of the pointed end of the cross-arm,

Fig. 6 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the coiled spring housing taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1, the pencil supporting and adjusting means being omitted,

Fig. '7 is a side view of a portion of the coiled spring housing and the adjustable weight indicating plate looking towards the left of Fig. 6, certain parts being in section,

Fig. 8 is a side view of the pencil supporting and adjusting means looking to the left of Fig. 6,

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of the crank lever for rotating the drum, and associated parts, taken on 9--9 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 10 is a similar view of the index lever for actuating the drum to the next period position, taken on line Ill-4B of Fig. 3,

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section view of the nut on the worm shaft and the bearing lug, taken on line H-|l of Fig. 12,

Fig. 12 is a face view of the bearing lug showing recesses for the index ball,

Fig. 13 is the portion of the drum to which the record sheet is attached,

Fig. 14 is a front view of the clamp for the record sheet,

Fig. 15 is a cross sectional view taken on line |5l5 of Fig. 13,

Fig. 16 is a similar View taken on line l6-l6 of Fig. 14, and

Fig. 17 illustrates the record sheet.

Referring to the drawings, l represents a suitable housing of an ordinary coiled spring 2 for scales and from said spring depends a suspension bar 3. The housing I is constructed of sheet material and consists of a rear rounded vertical side 4 having forward lateral flanges 5 and 6, to which is fixed a face plate '5. The upper end of the housing I is closed by a cap 8 and its lower end by a similar cap 9. Extending rearwardly at a right angle from the housing 4 is a bracket It also constructed of sheet material bent into a rectangular form with flanges as H at its forward end for connection to the flanges 5 and 6 of the housing and having at its free or rear end a vertical base plate l2 for attachment to the wall of the milking shed or other suitable place by means of bolts passing through openings l3 thereof for supporting said housing. The upper cap 8 has a knockout depending lug l4 and in an opening 15 thereof is suspended the hooked end N5 of the scale spring 2. To the lower end of the scale spring 2 is fixed the suspension bar 3 by means of its last coil engaging a recess I! in the edge of said bar and the inturned end 18 thereof passing through an opening 19 of said suspension bar. The suspension bar extends through a longitudinal recess 2t of the lower cap 9 and the sides of this recess together with a slotted guide El fixed to the face plate l serve to guide said suspension bar. A suitable hook 22, on which may be conveniently hung a pail of milk for the weighing of same, is suspended from the depending and projecting end of the suspension bar 3 in an opening thereof.

The weight indicating plate, which is ustaole to allow for tare, and the means or carriage for supporting a lead pencil to permit manual ad- .l'ustment thereof vertically to the proper starting position on the record sheet, for auto atically moving the pencil downwardly from 1 position to a position corresponding to the of the milk by the weighing action tn now be described.

The face plate 'l is provided with a vertical slot 24 opposite the edge of the suspension bar 3 and fixed to said suspension bar is a block 25, the head 25 of which is rectangular and adapted to pass through said slot and project beyond said face plate and also slide upon the side edges of saidslot thus guiding the upper portion of said suspension bar. The height of the head 26 of the slide .block 25 is reduced at 27 and 28 leaving upper and lower horizontal shoulders 29 and 30, and fixed securely thereon at a right angle to the suspension bar 3 is a cross arm SI of sheet metal serving as a carriage for supporting a lead pencil and having a rectangular recess 32 corresponding to saidreduced portion of said head. The cross arm Si is fixed to the outer end of the head 28 by. means of a washer 33 and a headed screw 34; One end of the cross arm 31 terminates in apoint 35 which passes through and is adapted to slide in a recess 85 of the upstanding side 3.! of 'a weight indicating plate as carrying suitable markings as at 3%! on its face. The weight indicating plate 38 is adjustably supported on the faceplate 1 to permit vertical movement thereof and has 2. turned down flange ii adapted to engage the edge of said face plate for the guiding of said'weight indicating plate. supporting the weight indicating plate 38 consists of a back plate 4!, from which extends a threaded pin i2 which passes through and slides in registering slots 43 and as of the flanget of the rear side of the housing l and the face plate 1 respectively and through an opening 45 of said weight indicating plate for receiving a suitable binding nut 46.

The other end of the cross arm or carriage 3| extends beyond the side edge of the face plate I, then downwardly and rearwardly at 33 and formed therewith is a vertical socket 49 having a rectangular opening 56 for supporting an adjustable post i. To the upper end of the adjustable post 5| is fixed at 52 a horizontally and rearwardly extending tubular shell 53, in which is movably supported a tubular holder 54 for receiving a lead pencil indicated by 55 and having springy fingers 55 at its rear end for gripping same. The holder 54 is both slidably and rotatably supported in the shell 53 to permit imparting a forward and twisting movement to the lead pencil carried by the holder. For adjusting thepost 5| up and down in the socket 49 and thus moving the lead pencil to a set position, said post The means for i support for the cross arm 3! and at the same time reduce friction between same and the face plate 1 and the flange 6 of the rear side of the housing, said cross arm is provided with an upstanding portion 83 having sides fi l and 65 carrying a front roller 68, and a bracket 6'! fixed to said cross arm at 68 and having similar sides to the portion G3 carrying a rear roller 39.

The record sheet used in connection with this machine and indicated by 70 is removably attached to the outer face ll of a vertically arranged drum '52, which is rotatably supported by and between upper and lower bracket arms 13 and M extending from the rear side 4 of the housing i and fixed to the lateral flanges 5 and 6 thereof, and then extending laterally on an angle and having vertically alining bearing openings as at l5at their outer ends. The drum i2 is loosely mounted on an upright shaft 16 which passes through central bearing openings as at H through the upper and lower ends it and 19 of said drum, and said shaft extends through and is rotatably mounted in the bearing openings T5 of the bracket arms l3 and 74. An adjustable collar 86 on the shaft '56 supports same in the bracket arm.

In order to provide for the manual rotation of the drum [2 to bring the record sheet carried thereby to a set position for each cow to be milked, and also be able to set the drum and record sheet for a desired period of milkings, as for instance, each day of a week or a certain day of each week for a month, the following described means is employed.

For rotating the drum l2 and locking and releasing same, a crank lever 8| is riveted at 82 to the lower end of the shaft 16, and to the free end of said lever is riveted at 83 a depending hollow handle 84, in which is a spring upwardly pressed locking pin 35 having fixed to its outer or lower end, a head 86 for convenience in manually moving said pin downwardly or in its opposite direction to normal. For locking the drum 1'2 in a set position for each cow to be milked, the upper end of the pin is adapted to enter openings, indicated by 8i, arranged on the arc of a circle and equally spaced through a circular stationary lock plate 88, which is secured to the lower bracket arm 24 of the housing. The circular lock plate as is provided with a central opening 89 for receiving the shaft 2'6. and is held against rotation by pins as at 96 passing therethrough and through a spacing washer 9i and through the bracket arm M and their ends riveted. A stop Q2 limits the rotation of the crank lever 8|.

For moving and also locking the drum in a set position step-by-step slightly to the left relative to the set and locked position for each cow as described, a radially extending and outwardly tapering lock plate 93 is pivoted on the shaft 16 but is spot welded at st to the lower end it of the drum 12 so as to be a part thereof and turn there with. The lock plate 93 extends beyond the outer face I! of the drum '52 as at 95 and the outer edge of this portion terminates in the arc of a circle and is providedwith teeth 95 adapted to be engaged by a worm 9?. For supporting the worm 97, a tapering index lever 98 having a depending boss 99 riveted thereto at its inner end and provided with a bore 1% for receiving the shaft it is arranged below the lock plate 83 and adjustably fixed to said shaft by means of a-set screw mi. The index lever 98 therefore may be adjusted on the shaft '16 and set in a central position relative to the period rotations of the-drum I2 and the record sheet carried thereby. The outer end of the index lever 98 has a pair of upstanding bearing lugs I02 and I03 for supporting the shaft I04 to which the worm 01 is fixed. The index lever 98 extends beyond and around the worm 91 to form a cover I05 therefor, and said cover carries an index point I06, which is adapted to register with an upright plate I0I formed from and remaining a part of the lock plate 93 and having thereon numerals one to seven as indicated at I08 representing the milking periods. The index lever 98 below the worm 91 is cut out at I09 to accommodate same. For rotating the worm 01, a knurled nut H0 is fixed to the projecting end of the shaft I04 which is rotatable in a lug III- formed integrally with the index lever 08. In order to be able to rotate the worm 91 to move the index lever 98 a certain and equal step-by-step distance, the knurled nut I I0 is provided with a spring pressed ball II2, which is adapted to enter equally spaced recesses H3 in the outer face II4 of the lug III. The knurled nut H0 is fixed to the worm shaft I04 by means of a set screw I I5 for convenient removal thereof from said shaft, and also adjustment of the worm 91 to give accurate movement for registration of the index pointer I00 with the numerals I08. To limit the movement of the index lever 98, a headed stop screw II5 passing through a curved slot I'II thereof is fixed into the lock plate 93.

By turning the knurled nut IIO to the right step-by-step and thereby rotating the worm 91 in the same direction and also step-by-step, the lock plate 93 is moved to the left relative to the index lever 98 supporting said worm, and the drum #2, of which said lock plate is a part, is thus moved as is also the record sheet I0 carried thereby to the next milking period position and locked. As the index lever 98 is fixed to the shaft I6 and locked to the drum 12, the rotating of the shaft by means of the crank lever 8I will rotate said drum and record sheet to the next and successive positions for each cow of the herd for that same time of the same milking period.

The record sheet I0 for use with this machine consists of a sheet of paper of suitable height and sufficient length to encircle the outer face II of the drum l2, and having in its forward end portion II 8, a plurality of vertically alining openings, as at II9, for registering with and fitting over guide pins I projecting from the face of the drum. The other or rear end portion I2I of the record sheet I0 is adapted to be pressed against slight projections I22 of the drum I2 opposite and across from the guide pins I20. The record sheet I8 is held securely in position on the drum by means of a clamp bar I23, which is slightly convex in cross section and provided with two rows of openings designated by I24, one row for receiving the guide pins I20 and the other row for registering with the projections I22. Suitable thumb nuts I25 pass through central openings I26 of the clamp bar I23 and enter threaded openings I21 in the face of the drum I2.

The record sheet I0 is ruled vertically at I28 to provide a column as I29 for each cow to be milked and recorded for a certain period of time, and said sheet is also ruled longitudinally as at I30 and said lines marked as at I 3I indicating the weight of the milk at each milking according to the distance the carriage 3| and consequently the lead pencil is moved downwardly. As theweight of the milk moves the lead pencil downwardly,.the dots made thereby and according to their position relative to the longitudinal lines I30 and marks I3I, will indicate the weight of the milk. Beginning at the left, the columns I29 of the record sheet I0 are numbered consecutively and marked at the bottom thereof as at I32, and each number also represents the number of the cow of the herd. The period of the duration for the recording of the milkings is placed at the top of the record sheet as at I33.

In practice, first, the record sheet I0 is placed around and securely attached to the drum I2 by means of the openings I I9 at the forward end of said record sheet engaging the guide pins I20, and said end and the other end thereof over the projections I22 being held by the clamp bar I23. Next, the drum i2 is released by downward pressure on the head 86 of the locking pin of the handle 84 to withdraw said pin from one of the openings 8? of the lock plate 88, and then rotating said drum by means of said handle to position the portion of the record sheet I0, which is adjacent the forward vertical line I28 of column one thereof, opposite the point of the lead pencil 55 and until said locking pin comes into alinement with the corresponding opening 81 for setting said drum and said record sheet thereon for cow number one of the herd, and upon relieving said downward pressure on said handle, said locking pin will, due to upward spring pressure, enter said corresponding opening and thereby hold said drum in set position and as shown in the drawings. Next, the drum I2 and the record sheet I0 carried thereby is set for the first milkings of the period by rotating the knurled nut H0 in the proper direction to cause the worm 91 to actuate the index lever 90 and therefore the drum I2 to the first period position, as will be indicated by the index pointer I06 registering with the numeral one of the numerals I08 on the plate I01, and also locking said drum in this set position, and as shown in the drawings. Finally, the pail to be used for the milkings is hung upon the hook 22 and its weight will cause the suspension bar 3 to move downwardly thereby actuating the cross bar 3I attached thereto in the same direction to a position below normal and the point 35 thereof will register the weight of the pail on the indicating plate 38. To allow for the weight of the pail, or tare, and thereby be able to register the weight of the milk only for an accurate record, the indicating plate 38 is adjusted downwardly and reset by means of the thumb nut 45 so that the zero thereof is opposite the point of the cross bar. The post 5! supporting the lead pencil 55 is then adjusted up or down by turning the head 60 of the threaded stem 6| to bring the point of the lead pencil opposite the top or zero line of the lines I30 of the record sheet 10. This completes the setting of the machine for cow number one and for the first milking of the period. So long as the pail weighed for tare or a pail of like weight is used, no further adjustment of the indicating plate 38 or the lead pencil 55 is necessary.

The first milk from cow number one is weighed by hanging the pail upon the hook 22 and when the cross arm 3I comes to rest in its down position, the point 35 thereof will register the weight of the milk on the indicating plate 38 and the point of the lead pencil 55 will be opposite a corresponding position or the same weight on the record sheet I0, and the milker, by a quick press and twist of the lead pencil, will mark a dot thereon at said point as for example at I34. For setting the drum I2 and the record sheet 10 for cow number two, the locking pin 85 is withdrawn from its opening 87 of the lock plate 83 for cow number one to permit clockwise rotation of said drum by the handle 84 of the crank lever iii to the next opening of said lock plate for the entrance therein of said locking pin, thereby placing number two column of the record sheet in a relative position to the point of the lead pencil 55 as was originally column one for cow number one. And for changing and setting the drum and the record sheet for each different cow of the herd for the same milking and for the same period, the procedure described is the same.

After each cow of the herd has been milked and the separate milkings weighed and registered by a dot on the record sheet "Iii for the first milkings of each period, the drum i2 is released from its last locked position by the withdrawing of the locking pin 85, the rotating of the drum counter- -clockwise by the handle 84 to its original position and the locking again of same in that position by said locking pin. To set the drum 12 .and the record sheet 10 carried thereby to the second position of each column for the second :and record sheet from its first milking position for the period to its second position for the same period. The drum and record sheet are now set for the weighing and registering of the milk for the second milking of cow number one. And for example, the dot made at I35 in column one of the record sheet, upon the weighing of the milk, represents the second milking of cow number one. The drum [2 is released, rotated to the next position for cow number two and locked by means of the locking pin 85 of the handle 84 as heretofore described, and this resetting of the drum is repeated for each cow of the herd. After each all around milking of the herd, the drum 12 is returned to its original position, the index lever 98 actuated and therefore the drum rotated and the record sheet 7% moved to its next position for the entire milking period. And, the dots I34 and I35, and the dots following as at I36, made for each weighing cf the milk taken from each cow of the herd for the desired period of time, represents each weighing and provides a record thereof for comparison and thereby showing gain or loss of milk for each cow over the period. Lines may be drawn from dot to dot representing the separate weighings of milk for the period, as at $1, for easy reading.

From the drawings and description, it is clear that this machine is capable of facilitating the weighing and recording of the separate milkings of each cow of a herd for a desired period of time such as days of a week, days or weeks of a month, or weeks or months of a year, that the machine may be conveniently and quickly adjusted for each cow consecutively for a full round of milkings, or for each milking of each cow for the same period of time, or for any certain cow for any particular time of a period, and that the machine is of practical construction, easy to manipulate, accurate in operation, and adapted to selection of various periods of time for the making of a record of the weight of the milking of each cow of the herd to show gains and losses from milking to milking and over the period.

.Although this machine as described is particularly applicable for the milkings of cows, it is 8 apparent that it will serve also for weighing and recording of any article from any source of sup ply over a period oftime for the purpose of obtaining a comparative record.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim i i. In a milk weighing and recording machine, the combination of a housing, a scale spring supported in the housing, a suspension bar depending from the scale spring and below the housing, a carrying hook at the end of the suspension bar, the housing being provided with a slot opposite said suspension bar, a cross arm attached to said suspension bar opposite said slot, means supporting a record sheet, said means being movable at a right angle to the movement of said cross arm, means for moving said record supporting means step-by-step, means for moving said record supporting means step-by-step Within the limits of one of its first mentioned stcp-by-step movements, a pencil holder supported by said cross arm and movable at a right angle thereto towards and away from the record sheet, and a pencil held by said holder for the marking of said record sheet.

2. In a milk weighing and recording machine, the combination of a housing, a scale spring supported in the housing, a suspension bar supported by the scale spring and depending from the housing and having a carrying hook, the housing being provided with a slot opposite said suspension bar, a cross arm fixed to said suspension bar opposite said siot, a drum for carrying a record sheet, the drum being rotatably mounted upon an axis parallel to the weight responsive movement of said spring, means for rotating the drum for its full movement, means for rotating said drum step-by-step, means for rotating said drum step-by-step within one of said step move ments, a pencil holder supported by said cross arm and movable towards and away from said drum, and a pencil in said holder for the marking of said record sheet by manual action.

3. In a milk weighing and recording machine, the combination of a housing, a scale spring supported in the housing, a suspension bar supported by the scale spring and depending from the housing and having a carrying hook, the housing being provided with a slot opposite the suspen-- sion bar, a cross arm fixed to said suspension bar opposite said slot, a drum for carrying a record sheet, the drum being rotatably supported upon an axis parallel to the weight responsive movement of said spring, means for rotating said drum step-by-step and locking same after each step movement, means for rotating said drum step-by-step within the distance of one of the first mentioned step movements and locking same after each step movement, means locking the last mentioned means to the first mentioned means, a pencil holder supported by said cross arm and movable towards and away from said drum, and a pencil supported in said holder for manual action in the marking of said record sheet.

4. In a milk weighing and recording machine, the combination of a housing, a scale spring supportedin the housing, a suspension bar supported by the scaie spring and depending from the housing and having a carrying hook, the housing being provided with a slot opposite the suspension bar, a cross arm fixed to said suspension bar opposite said slot, a drum for carrying a record sheet, a shaft, the shaft being arranged parallel to said suspension bar, the drum being loosely mounted on the shaft, a crank lever for rotating said shaft step-by-step, an index lever fixed to said shaft for rotating same step-by-step, means for locking said index lever to said drum for rotating same by said crank lever, a pencil holder supported by said cross arm and movable towards and away from said drum, and a pencil supported in said holder for manual action in the marking of said record sheet.

5. In a milk weighing and recording machine, the combination of a housing, a scale spring supported in the housing, a suspension bar supported by the scale spring and depending from the housing and having a carrying hook, the housing being provided with a slot opposite the suspension bar, a cross arm fixed to said suspension bar opposite said slot, a drum for carrying a record sheet, a shaft, the shaft being arranged parallel to said suspension bar, the drum being loosely mounted on the shaft, a crank lever fixed to said shaft for rotating same step-by-step, a lock plate fixed to said drum, an index lever fixed to said shaft, means for actuating the index lever relative to the lock plate to cause rotation of said drum and also look same for rotation thereof by said crank lever, a pencil holder supported by said cross arm and movable towards and away from said drum, and a pencil supported in said holder for manual action in the marking of the record sheet on the drum.

6. In a milk weighing and recording machine, the combination of a housing, a scale spring supported in the housing, a suspension bar supported by the scale spring and depending from the housing and having a carrying hook, the housing being provided with a slot opposite the suspension bar, a cross arm fixed to said suspension bar opposite said slot, a drum for carrying a record sheet, a shaft, the shaft being arranged parallel to said suspension bar, the drum being loosely mounted on the shaft, an index lever fixed to said shaft, a lock plate fixed to said drum, the lock plate having teeth, the index lever supporting a worm adapted to engage the teeth of the lock plate, means for manually rotating said worm to move said drum step-bystep and lock same in each postion, means for manually rotating said shaft step-by-step thereby rotating said drum in like manner and locking the drum in each position, a cross arm fixed to said suspension bar opposite said slot, a pencil holder supported by the cross arm and movable towards and away from said drum, and a pencil supported in said holder for manual action in the marking of the record sheet carried by the drum.

7. In a milk weighing and recording machine, the combination of a housing, a scale spring supported in the housing, a suspension bar supported by the scale spring and depending from the housing and having a carrying hook, the housing being provided with a slot, opposite the suspension bar, a cross arm fixed to the suspension bar opposite said slot, a drum for carrying a record sheet, a shaft, the shaft being arranged parallel to said suspension bar, the drum being loosely mounted on the shaft, a lock plate fixed to said drum, the lock plate having teeth, an index lever fixed to said shaft, a worm rotatably supported by the index lever and engaging the teeth of the lock plate, means whereby the rotating of said worm will move said drum stepby-step and lock same, a stationary lock plate carried by said housing, the stationary plate having equally spaced openings arranged in a circle, a crank lever fixed to said shaft for rotating same, the crank lever having a spring pressed pin adapted to enter said openings of said stationary lock plate upon rotation of said crank lever step-by-step and lock said drum in each position, means for permitting withdrawal of said spring pressed pin from said openings, a pencil holder supported by said cross arm and movable towards and away from said drum, and a pencil supported in said holder for manual action in the making of a mark on the record sheet carried by said drum.

EDWARD C. KOSTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this \patent:

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